Rep. Steve Scalise to start in congressional baseball game one year after shooting

close

Video

Scalise opens up on return to Congressional Baseball Game

One year after he was shot on the practice field, the House majority whip speaks out on the attack and his recovery on 'Fox & Friends.'

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise is set to return to the field for the Republicans on Thursday a year after he was shot during practice for the annual congressional baseball game.

Scalise, R-La., suffered life-threatening injuries in the June 2017 shooting and, after multiple surgeries, he returned to work in the fall. He said the shooting "deepened my appreciation for the Second Amendment because it was people with guns who saved my life and every other member out there.”

He will be wearing a Capitol Police baseball cap to honor the officers who saved his life.

Scalise throwing out the first pitch at Nationals Park before a game last year. (AP)

“I'm going to be wearing their hat tonight and just pay tribute to the great men and women of the Capital Police who risked their lives just like all of our law enforcement across the country that don't get enough credit for what they do. But I got to see it firsthand,” Scalise said in an interview on “Fox & Friends.”

The congressman credited officers David Bailey and Crystal Griner for taking down the shooter.

“If Dave and Krystal didn't literally risk their lives while being shot at, none of us would be here today. I wouldn't as well as all my Republican colleagues that were on that ball field,” he said.

Scalise has said he feels comfortable with the actions Congress has taken on gun safety, including measures to strengthen the federal background check system for gun purchases and improve school safety.

Gun control advocates, though, have called for tighter measures after mass shootings in Las Vegas, Florida and elsewhere.

"If Dave and Krystal didn't literally risk their lives while being shot at, none of us would be here today."

— Rep. Steve Scalise

Scalise, who still walks with crutches or a cane, will be starting at second base for the Republicans at Nationals Park. He told “Fox & Friends” that he can still field balls and throw to first despite limited movement.

The Republican team held its first practice in Alexandria, Va., where the shooting occurred. However, the team moved to a field in Washington with tighter security.

The game will be played on the anniversary of the shooting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.